Google Authenticator Security WordPress tutorial show you how to create a second level security for your WordPress website.

Last Updated: May 16, 2017

Note: Some are reporting issues with this plugin. I can confirm that this plugins works very well. The first action you should take to troubleshoot any problem is to check if you have any compatibility issues between plugins and your theme. I have this plugin running with WordPress 4.7.4 and I have also tested this plugin with 4.8 Beta 1 and it works.

Latest News: I have updated the details in the documentation.

Google Authenticator 0.48 changelog.

Security fix / compatability with WordPress 4.5

If you are serious about your website security then follow these instructions. They are very simple and easy to implement.

Latest News: Itunes has released a new app version 2.0.1 which fixes an issue with the previous version 2.0

What’s New in Version 2.0.1

Restores entries that were not displayed due to a bug in version 2.0. Restored entries are placed at the bottom of the list.Support for retina display and iPhone 5.Improved user interface.Minor bug fixes.Improved accessibility support.

Google Authenticator Security WordPress Steps

Step 1 ) Install the plugin and activate it. See image below.

Step 2 ) Go to your user profile. See image below.

Remember: Every person that has an account in your website must also carry out these steps to activate the plugin and add the two step level security to their login. If they don’t carry out these steps, then when they log into the admin panel, they will not have to add the Google Authenticator Code because it is not yet activated on their profile. Thus reducing the security to their account and your website and making their account more vulnerable including your website.

I have selected the following, Active, Relaxed mode to give me time to enter the code on my website, I entered a unique Description, copied the Secret code to my local hard disk and clicked on Show/Hide QR code. See images below.

Important: The activation is performed only once. After that the mobile app through your mobile phone or google account will provide you with your Google Authenticator Code which is used when login into the website admin panel.

Notice: I have not selected to Enable an App password because it will decrease your overall login security.

This is the QR code you need to scan only once with your iphone or smart phone as long as you have a valid QR scanner. I use Google Authenticator App from the iphone App store.

Make sure you click on Update Profile to save your new settings.

Step 4 ) Log out from your admin login and view the new security layer added to your login screen. See images below.

If everything goes well you will see a second level of security on your login screen.

Google Authenticator Test Login

Step 5 ) To log back into your admin panel you need to enter your usual Username, Password and now you will also have to enter your Google Authenticator code, which is provided by the app you installed in your smart phone. See image below.

Information: Please note the Google Authenticator Code you see in the image below is just an example of the code you will enter when login in.

Step 6 ) This plugin also works in a Multisite installation. Make sure you network activate the plugin and then log in as the user. This will allow you to activate the plugin for the current user logged in.

That is how simple it is to set up a Two Level Authentication Security for your WordPress website.

Troubleshooting

Q1 ) What if you forget the code or security code, lost your phone, accidentally deleted the App from your mobile phone?

Follow these instructions.

Ftp into your server, I use Filezilla for windows. Locate your plugin directory and delete or rename the folder. See image below.

Now check your login again and see if the extra security level has been removed. See image below.

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Q2 ) If you enter a space on your description or you use a tilde, a character with a stress on top or accent the QR will not work.

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Q3 ) How do I show Google Authenticator to subscribed users only who have enabled the security in their profile?

8 Responses to “Google Authenticator Security WordPress”

Hi,Thanks for a great tutorial on Google Authenticator.I have read through and implemented the process that you outlined in your tutorial. I then updated my profile and saved my new settings as instructed. I then logged out and tried to log back in but couldn’t, as it was asking me to input the QR code but I couldn’t see the QR code. I then had to ask the administrator to re-set my log in. He also explain that i needed to click on the show/hide QR code during the setup stage. and also to scan the displayed QR code with my smart phone during the setup, and that this step is only done once before you update your profile. next time when I log back in it will ask me for the Google authenticator code, which i should get through my smart phone. I think that step 3 of the tutorial should be updated and include a step in there explaining that the scanning of the QR code is done once during the setup stage and that it will be the only time that you will see the QR code. because next time you log back in you will have the access code on the mobile phone, that is where i got confused as i automatically thought that the QR code will be visible every time you try to log in, which is not correct. anyway hope it makes sense what I am trying achieve as i think it would make it easier for a first timer like myself. Thank you. J.Romero

After reading your review and poiting out that more information needs to be added to step 3. I can see your point and will make some changes to better explain the whole procedure. It is always a good idea to take on what readers suggest as they are the ones that read my tutorials.

Just adding some insights to this post if you’re having troubles adding new users once 2FA has been enabled.

Step 1: Install the per user plugin

Step 2: When adding a new user, note their password and also ensure ‘active’ is disabled under their profile for Google Authenticator

Step 3: Login as that user and set up their Google Authenticator details (if you login as an admin you can’t set these settings on behalf of another user, well I couldn’t if the user was say an Editor)

Hi, Great post and steps, thanks! I have a membership site using Wishlist Member and for new users all I want is for them to login using 2FA and access the content – 2FA to prevent sharing one account among many would be paying subscribers.

However, the setup of this seems to require a manual process for each new user.

Do you know of any integrations or processes with WLM that can assist an automatic signup by the new subscriber? Rather than having the administrator go through each new user and setup sending them the Secret key or QR code?

As well if you’ve come across a better way to prevent people from sharing logins (currently using Limit Login Attempts Reloaded & Prevent Concurrent logins).

Hi, thank you for your comment. Unfortunately I don’t know much about Wishlist Member “I assume this is a plugin”. I know of a plugin that automatically logs the members into the site after they successfully register as a member. Would this information help you?

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